Game Recaps: Monday 4/13

LaPorta Returns, Columbus Wins

Anyone worried about Triple-A Columbus outfielder Matt LaPorta's injury to his midsection on Saturday night can rest easy. After taking the day off on Sunday to rest, he was back in the lineup on Monday night and went 1-for-4 and played defensively out in left field.

As for the game itself, Columbus won 3-2. They trailed 2-0 going into the 8th inning, but plated two runs thanks to an RBI triple by Luis Valbuena (2-for-4, 3B, BB, RBI) and then an RBI single by Wes Hodges (2-for-4, RBI). The deciding run was brought home in the 9th on a one out line drive double to center by Jordan Brown (1-for-3, 2B, BB, RBI).

Lefty Jeremy Sowers got the start and cruised through five shutout innings allowing just 3 hits, 1 walk and struck out 4 batters. Righty Matt Herges got the win in relief going 1 shutout inning allowing 1 hit, no walks, and had 1 strikeout.

Aeros Outlast Rain, Nip Curve 7-6

AKRON, OH – Mickey Hall scored the decisive run on an error in the seventh and three relievers managed to keep Altoona off the board for the final three innings as Akron bested the Curve 7-6 before 1,032 fans at soggy Canal Park Monday Night. The Aeros improved to 4-1 while keeping the Curve winless at 0-5. The game took a season-high 3:24 to play and the teams waited through an 86-minute rain delay before the first pitch.

Altoona opened the scoring first, as the game began with a steady rain falling. Jose Tabata’s RBI single put the Curve in front, but the Aeros answered on Niuman Romero’s run-scoring double play grounder to knot the contest before the clubs traded runs in the third.

Akron went ahead for the first time with two runs in the fourth, as Romero opened the inning with a base hit to right and John Drennen scored him two pitches later with a booming two-run shot to right-center to make it 4-2.

The Curve would tally the next four runs in the back-and-forth affair however, scoring three times in the fifth off reliever Neil Wagner thanks to two hits, three walks, an error and a passed ball. Jamie Romak made it 6-4 in favor of the visitors with a solo home run down the left field line in the sixth, but the bullpen locked down the Altoona offense from there and Akron rallied immediately to tie the game.

Drennen worked a leadoff walk from Eric Krebs to open the bottom of the sixth, and Krebs then grazed Jerad Head with a pitch. Josh Rodriguez followed with a textbook sacrifice bunt to advance both runners, and Drennen covered the final 90 feet on a wild pitch that also moved Head to third. Carlos Rivero then bounced an RBI single to the left side that found its way past the drawn-in infield to score Head and tie the game at 6-6.

The Aeros took the lead for good in the seventh, as Hall walked with one away and moved to second on a wild pitch to start the rally. Romero followed with a single to right as Hall advanced to third, but Romero made too wide a turn at first and was caught in no-man’s land. Altoona first baseman Hector Gimenez received the throw from the outfield and saw second baseman Jim Negrych sneaking behind Romero, but in his haste to double-off Romero Gimenez had the ball bounce off his glove and into foul ground as Hall alertly broke for home and scored without a throw.

Randy Newsom (1-0) earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings, while Krebs (0-2) took the loss with three runs (two earned) in 1.1 innings also. Vinnie Pestano struck out a pair as part of a scoreless ninth to notch his second save. Chuck Lofgren started and made enough pitches to tightrope through four innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and four hits. He walked four, struck out two, and stranded five runners in the first two innings. Rivero became the first Aero to notch a three-hit game this year with his 3-4 effort, while Rodriguez and Romero both had two hits. Drennen finished 1-3 with two runs scored, two RBI, and his first home run of the season.

Game two in this three-game series is slated for 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, as Akron’s Hector Rondon (1-0, 1.59 ERA) will take on Curve southpaw Tony Watson (0-0, 12.27 ERA).

Wilmington beats K-Tribe 9-1

A couple of four run innings doomed the K-Tribe as Wilmington beat Kinston 9-1 Monday night at Historic Grainger Stadium.

The Indians took a 1-0 lead when Matt McBride lined a two-out double to the wall in the bottom of the first inning, scoring Tim Fedroff. McBride has hit safely in all five games this season, leading the team with five RBI. The Blue Rocks took the lead for good in a messy fourth inning. With Charlotte native Ryan Morris on the mound, a potential inning ending fly ball to center was misplayed, allowing Wilmington’s Jeff Bianchi to score. A single by Ryan Eigsti and a walk to Adrian Ortiz would follow to load the bases. An error on an infield grounder off the bat of Derrick Robinson would continue the inning as Wilmington would score a total of four runs. Wilmington second baseman Johnny Giavotella added a solo home run in the fifth inning and a grand slam home run in the seventh to finish the scoring for Wilmington. Giavotella was 3-for-4 with seven RBI, tying a Blue Rocks single game record.

K-Tribe starter Ryan Morris picked up the loss for Kinston. Chris Chavez (2-0) got the victory for Wilmington.

The K-Tribe returns to Historic Grainger Stadium Tuesday night for game two of the four game series against Wilmington. Opening Day starter Kelvin De La Cruz will take the hill for the K-Tribe; game time 7pm in Kinston.

BLUECLAWS OUTSLUG THE CAPTAINS 11-9

(Eastlake, OH) – The Lake County Captains and Lakewood BlueClaws combined for twenty runs on thirty hits with the Claws coming out on top 11-9. Every batter in both line ups reached base at least one time with eight of the nine BlueClaws batters scoring at least one run. Abner Abreu was the offensive star for the Captains going 4-5 with two doubles and two RBI’s.

The BlueClaws got the lead in the top of the first inning against Captains starter T.J. McFarland when Travis D’arnaud drove home a run and then a wild pitched scored a second run and it was 2-0. The Captains got to the BlueClaws starter Jacob Diekman and tied it at 2-2 in the bottom of the first when Abner Abreu doubled home Mark Thompson and then scored on ground out by Jeremie Tice.

The Captains put up five runs in the third inning to make it 7-2 as six straight batters reached base with Abreu, Karexon Sanchez and Chris Nash collecting RBI’s. The Claws came right back in the top of the fourth inning to take a 9-7 lead scoring seven runs of their own with James Murphy picking up two RBI’s on a two run home run and Leandro Castro and Travis Mattair each adding two RBI’s as well.

The BlueClaws made it 11-7 in the sixth inning when Mattair singled home a run and Troy Hanzawa doubled home Mattair. The Captains cut the lead to 11-8 when Ryan Blair scored from third base on a wild pitch by Claws pitcher Jon Velasquez.

The Captains inched closer in the eighth inning when Thompson singled home Adam White to make it an 11-9 game. McFarland took the loss going 3+ and allowing nine runs on nine hits. Velasquez allowed a run on five hits and upped his record to 2-0. Ryan Bergh pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his first save.

Game two against the BlueClaws is on Tuesday with the Captains sending RHP Joey Mahalic (0-0, 0.00) to the mound against RHP Tyler Cloyd (0-1, 3.00).

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